A Look At Electric Car Advertising For 2015

2015 is shaping up to be the year of electric vehicles. New models are bound to launch while others are getting a refresh, all in an effort to lure new customers to the brand. While some BMW customers are dropping their ICE cars in exchange for an electric vehicle, there are others who are new to the Roundel.

Getting a new customer base comes with a price. In 2015, marketing budgets are getting recalculated to include more EV advertising and BMW has just made the first step with their Super Bowl return announcement.

But the company’s marketing efforts don’t stop here. A series of marketing emails to existing customers are emphasizing the benefits of the new i3.

“Discover how single-pedal driving, 50/50 weight distribution, and a tight turning radius can make it exciting to take on the road in the all-new BMW i3. You may never need to do donuts in the street, but it’s good to know you could.”

Tesla needs a bump in brand awareness as well. Many consumers are able to correctly identify the brand, but the fine details around the company and its models are unknown to many.

A recent article by Daniel Sparks at Motley Fool talks about how he’s been driving a Tesla Model S for 10,000 miles and people are still confused about the car.

One of the most common initial questions we get from strangers and friends is, “Who makes the car?” After we explain the car is made by Tesla, they often persist: “But who makes Tesla?” Furthermore, most people don’t know Tesla now has an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S, are completely unaware of the fast-growing Supercharger network, and have never heard of regenerative braking.

2016 Chevrolet Volt

Chevy will also release this year the Volt 2.0 and the company is already touting the increased driving range and more appealing design. An effective marketing campaign will not only increase the electric vehicles sales for GM, but will also promote the EV segment. Even though car makers compete for some the same EV customers, their ads are yet to be aimed at each other as we currently see with advertising for conventionally-powered cars.

The biggest challenge for EV automakers still revolves around educating customers on the benefits of electric mobility while dealing with the most pressing topic: driving range anxiety.

So true!
Thus BMW’s extended test drive program. When I did it they were kind enough to extend it to 5 days so that I could show some more people at work and also bring it to our regional EV meeting. The extra days in the i3 allowed me to experience more of its finer features and further drive my conviction that one will be my next car. Also, that the sensible choice for that would be a 2 year lease on a Rex (opposite my original plan).

Then there are the videos out now of passengers experiencing EV extreme in Telsa D’s 😀